I see that I worded that poorly! I really was not talking about anyone's brain but my own. I don't think TV makes you brainless. I just don't like the effect it has on my brain, which is really the only brain on whose behalf I can speak.

I've seen you in TV threads. Do you mean you just don't watch TV on a TV but you watch TV on your computer?

Yes, I watch some TV shows on my computer. To me that's more like watching a movie than watching TV, just in terms of how it affects me and how it fits into my life. I totally respect that other people have different relationships with TV than I do.

_________________Man, fork the gender card, imma come at you with the whole damned gender deck. - Olives Did you ever think that, like, YOU are a sexy costume FOR a diva cup? - solipsistnationblog!FB!

The drums themselves (as I'm sure you know) can be made out of wood, plastic, synthetics, etc., and the ropes can be cotton, nylon etc. I know initially most nice djembes come with skin drumheads, but you can change them out and donate the old heads to someone who doesn't mind using them. If you want me to research further, I'm happy to- I work in a music shop that sells a myriad of percussion instruments, and I'm trying to create as much awareness as possible about how unfriendly lots of instruments are to animals, and support companies that are animal-friendly. Meinl makes good-sounding djembes that are vegan aside from the heads, but, again, Remo does make mylar.

Hi Missdelaney, you don't know anything about synthetic bodhrán (Irish drum) skins, do you? I really want to replace the animal (most likely goat) skin but I'm not sure what type of skins are available or suitable.

I'll look into it! It's a folk store and we sell bodhrans, as well as have some teachers. They may know some resources if I can't find anything.

Thank you! I contacted music shops and bodhrán makers at home in Ireland but they couldn't really give me much info. There is very much an attitude that animal skin is the 'real' thing and that why would you get synthetic when you can get animal skin *eye-roll*

I know it has been said 39048309584085 times in this thread but why is it so freaking hard to find honey-free graham crackers? I have been to every supermarket nearby, plus TWO health food-ish stores AND whole foods. Like a total of about 8 stores. Even checked a couple of drugstores, just in case.

Nothing. Blah. Not making the pumpkin cheesecake for TG now, just plain pumpkin pie. I am tired of checking every market in the county for those things.

I know it has been said 39048309584085 times in this thread but why is it so freaking hard to find honey-free graham crackers? I have been to every supermarket nearby, plus TWO health food-ish stores AND whole foods. Like a total of about 8 stores. Even checked a couple of drugstores, just in case.

Nothing. Blah. Not making the pumpkin cheesecake for TG now, just plain pumpkin pie. I am tired of checking every market in the county for those things.

You could mash up some other sort of cookie for the crust? (assuming thats what the graham crackers are for)

I know it has been said 39048309584085 times in this thread but why is it so freaking hard to find honey-free graham crackers? I have been to every supermarket nearby, plus TWO health food-ish stores AND whole foods. Like a total of about 8 stores. Even checked a couple of drugstores, just in case.

Nothing. Blah. Not making the pumpkin cheesecake for TG now, just plain pumpkin pie. I am tired of checking every market in the county for those things.

When I was dating a GFer I would use GF ginger cookies as a cookie crust for pumpkin pie. It's lovely. Perhaps you could sub ginger cookies for graham crackers.

_________________"I'd rather have dried catshit! I'd rather have astroturf! I'd rather have an igloo!"~Isa

"But really, anyone willing to dangle their baby in front of a crocodile is A-OK in my book."~SSD

I know it has been said 39048309584085 times in this thread but why is it so freaking hard to find honey-free graham crackers? I have been to every supermarket nearby, plus TWO health food-ish stores AND whole foods. Like a total of about 8 stores. Even checked a couple of drugstores, just in case.

Nothing. Blah. Not making the pumpkin cheesecake for TG now, just plain pumpkin pie. I am tired of checking every market in the county for those things.

I have had to resort to ordering Nabisco original grahams (the ones in the red box that are sweetened with molasses) online in the past. I don't recommend it. Crackers are damned expensive to order online! But NO grocery stores in Seattle stock them. Just Honey Maid. Grrr...

I think the pumpkin cheesecake would be awesome with a Biscoff cookie crust. I was also going to recommend Nabisco original, but I haven't been able to find them.

_________________I would eat Dr. Cow pocket cheese in a second. I would eat it if you hid it under your hat, or in your backpack, but not if it was in your shoe. That's where I draw the line. -allularpunk

Damn lactic acid of questionable origin, get the fork out of my bread.

Lactic acid has nothing to do with lactose or dairy. I'm not really aware of a non-vegan lactic acid.

That's not true, actually. Lactic acid occurs naturally in lots of cheeses and yoghurts, and our own bodies produce it. In fact, part of the soreness you get after strenuous exercise is thanks to lactic acid being released and not dealt with fast enough.

From the name it was probably first isolated in dairy products (according to Wikipedia, it was!). There are non-animal sources, though.

_________________Moon - "This is the best recipe in the history of recipes forever."

Damn lactic acid of questionable origin, get the fork out of my bread.

Lactic acid has nothing to do with lactose or dairy. I'm not really aware of a non-vegan lactic acid.

That's not true, actually. Lactic acid occurs naturally in lots of cheeses and yoghurts, and our own bodies produce it. In fact, part of the soreness you get after strenuous exercise is thanks to lactic acid being released and not dealt with fast enough.

From the name it was probably first isolated in dairy products (according to Wikipedia, it was!). There are non-animal sources, though.

In an otherwise vegan product, though, it's unlikely to be dairy sourced. I understand it to be a product of fermentation, and it occurs naturally in the dairy products that contain it, but when it's being added to something, it's probably safe to assume it's vegan.

Quote:

Lactic Acid – Lactic acid is created via the fermentation of sugars, and can be found in many dairy-free and/or vegan foods. Most commercially used lactic acid is fermented from carbohydrates, such as cornstarch, potatoes or molasses, and thus dairy-free. Though lactic acid can be fermented from lactose, its use is generally (I said generally; where concerned, always check with the manufacturer) restricted to dairy products, such as ice cream and cream cheese.

Also I can find the honey-free red box of grahams down the street. If you get me as your holiday swap partner and want some let me know! I do not buy them often only when I need a comfort kick. Growing up my mom would crunch them up to big bits and we would pour milk over them like cereal!

I was half listening to a Thanksgiving discussion on NPR and someone emailed a question.They are a vegan and didn't know how to handle a Thanksgiving invitation by someone who doesn't make food for them and gives them a hard time about bringing their own food. One of the guests went on and on about how the holiday isn't about the food,it's about spending time with people. REALLY? Funny how the people who say events aren't about the food are the ones who always have plenty to eat...

My peeve right now is that I feel like anytime I bake or cook, it's under scrutiny from everyone who enters the house, and if it happens to not turn out great (which is RARE, I might add), then it's like "Oh, well, you know vegan food and how it's inferior to other food" all over again. People seem to think I represent all of veganism and I'm like, nah I'm just trying to eat here.

Like these damn cookies last night. I wrote a recipe out for my brother, who was itching to bake, and told him to follow it exactly. So naturally he skimps on the margarine, saying it seemed like a lot. And I don't know what else the fork he did but these cookies forking suck like whoa. First thing Mom says is something to the effect of the recipe being vegan, which pissed me off because we've enjoyed that very recipe two other times and it was the shiitake when I made it.

This kills me. No one eats bad pancakes made with eggs and butter and goes "Man, omnivorous pancakes suck!" but people will happily eat bad pancakes that happen to be vegan say "vegan pancakes suck!" No, dude, THOSE pancakes suck. There are good vegan pancakes....